Suspects in murder of lawyer Kyalo Mbobu detained for 15 days pending probe The Chief Magistrate's Court at Milimani Friday granted the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) 15 days to continue detaining four suspects linked to the murder of Nairobi lawyer Mathew Kyalo Mbobu, pending investigations. Chief Magistrate Gethi Kibiru ordered the four suspects Julias Cheruiyot, Nicholas Naula Lemiso, Noah Kipkurui Langat and Kennedy Kipkemei will be held at Gigiri, Parklands, Kibra and Muthangari police stations respectively. Mbobu, a city lawyer and partner at Kyalo and Associates in Nairobi's Central Business District, was gunned down on the evening of September 9, 2025, while driving his white Toyota Land Cruiser near Brookhouse International School in Lang'ata. Investigators said he was ambushed by armed assailants riding on a motorcycle, who opened fire before fleeing the scene. Police officers who processed the scene recovered bullet fragments and other ballistic exhibits, while a subsequent search of the lawyer's vehicle yielded a spent cartridge, bullet heads and additional fragments that were submitted to the government ballistic laboratory for forensic examination. An autopsy conducted by Chief Government Pathologist Dr Johansen Oduor concluded that Mbobu died from multiple gunshot injuries after sustaining eight bullet wounds to the upper body and neck. Two bullet heads recovered during the postmortem were also forwarded for ballistic analysis. According to an affidavit sworn by Homicide Investigations Bureau officer Inspector Patrick Wachira, detectives reconstructed the lawyer's final movements using CCTV footage and call data records. The investigation further established that Mbobu was representing the family of Professor David Musyimi Ndetei in a land dispute pending before the Machakos Environment and Land Court, a matter investigators believe may have provided the motive for the killing. Detectives told Chief Magistrate Kibiru that ballistic analysis linked cartridge cases and recovered bullets to a CZ 85B pistol, which had allegedly been issued to the first suspect Cheruiyot, a police officer attached to Pangani Police Station. The DCI alleged that Cheruiyot fired the fatal shots after being transported to the scene on a motorcycle ridden by Lemiso. Langat is accused of trailing the lawyer's vehicle from his office, while Kipkemei allegedly participated in planning meetings alongside the other suspects and an alleged financier identified as Rose Mbithe who is the former wife of Ndetei. The four suspects were arrested on September 24, during what detectives described as an intelligence-led operation. Police recovered a firearm, mobile phones, two motorcycles and other items that are yet to undergo forensic examination. The DCI had sought to detain the suspects for 30 days, arguing that they posed a flight risk, could interfere with witnesses, collude with accomplices still at large and compromise ongoing intelligence-led investigations. Investigators also cited public interest and concerns for the suspects' safety because of widespread outrage over the lawyer's murder. "The investigations remain active and intelligence-led, with several investigative leads yet to be pursued," read the court documents. The matter will be mentioned on October 9, 2026.

A case was filed at the Milimani Law Courts seeking orders compelling the Inspector General of Police and the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to account for the whereabouts of activist Boniface Mulinge Muteti, who is reported to have gone missing after his alleged arrest during protests.

The petition, filed by Francis Awino, seeks the court’s intervention to establish where Muteti is being held and, if he is in custody, compel the authorities to produce him before the court.

Awino filed the application under the constitutional provisions protecting personal liberty and the right to habeas corpus, asking the court to urgently inquire into Muteti’s whereabouts and the legal basis, if any, for his detention.

According to the petition, Muteti was allegedly arrested on or about September 21, 2026, in Nairobi during a public demonstration concerning the continued detention of Ugandan opposition leader Kizza Besigye.

The petitioner stated that Muteti informed people within his circle that he had been arrested shortly before communication with him ceased.

His phone subsequently became unreachable, and attempts to contact him have allegedly been unsuccessful.

The petition further stated that a written notification of the intended demonstration had been delivered to the Kenya Police Service on September 16, setting out the proposed date, route and expected attendance.

Awino also cited a charge sheet dated September 22 relating to the arrest and processing of other activists in connection with events along Mama Ngina Street in Nairobi. However, Muteti is not listed among those named in the charge sheet, according to the petition.

A report concerning Muteti’s disappearance was subsequently made to the police on September 23 under OB No. 46, the petitioner says.

The application named the Police IG Douglas Kanja and DCI Mohammed Amin as respondents and asks them to appear before the court, either personally or through authorised representatives, with any warrant, detention order, committal warrant or other document relied upon to justify Muteti’s arrest or continued detention.

The petitioner sought orders requiring the respondents to disclose Muteti’s current whereabouts and produce records relating to his arrest, custody, transfer, release or processing, including relevant Occurrence Book entries, station diary entries, custody records and detainee registers.

Awino argued that the application does not seek to interfere with any lawful investigation or prosecution, but is intended to establish whether Muteti is in police, investigative, remand or any other form of custody and, if so, the legal basis for his detention.

The application asked the court to certify the matter as urgent and issue directions in the nature of habeas corpus, including an order requiring Muteti to be produced before the court within 24 hours of service or within such shorter period as the court may direct.

The circumstances surrounding Muteti’s alleged disappearance and his present whereabouts remain subject to determination by the court.

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